How to create a GUI application with Python. There comes a time in the journey of most any programmer when they are ready to branch out past the basic examples and start to build a graphical interface to their program.

In Python, the steps to get started with GUI programming are not terribly complex, but they do require the user to begin making some choices. By its nature as a general purpose programming language with interpreters available across every common operating system, Python has to be fairly agnostic as to the choices it presents for creating graphical user interfaces. Fortunately, there are many options available for programmers looking to create an easy way for users to interact with their programs. Bindings exist for several UI frameworks on a variety of platforms, including those native to Windows, Mac, and Linux, and many that will work across all three.

But for more general purpose programs, don't count out either the command line or a web interface just yet. Still sure you want to build a GUI? PyQt Tkinter WxPython. Pimoroni - Raspberry Pi, Adafruit, SparkFun from the UK. Dexter Industries. Program LEGO Mindstorms robots over WiFi with BrickPi. For the past year, I've been teaching students how to build and program robots using the LEGO Mindstorms EV3 platform.

From the outset, I wanted to find a way to use Scratch and other open source programming languages to extend the capabilities of the platform. That search led me to BrickPi, a Raspberry Pi add-on board from Dexter Industries that easily interfaces with Mindstorms sensors and motors. I requested a teacher trial to see what it could do. Hardware The US $99 base kit includes: BrickPi add-on boardBattery pack that holds eight AA batteriesAcrylic case There's also a US $179 starter kit that comes with everything above, plus: Raspberry Pi 38GB microSD card with Raspbian for Robots preloadedMini WiFi donglePower supply wall adapterEthernet cable Getting started I soon received a small white box in the mail. "In very little time, I had a functioning BrickPi that I was ready to begin programming.
" On first boot, I connected the BrickPi to an LCD display with an HDMI cable.